Hello! I am Triin Jagomägi, an Estonian. I am not a native English speaker, so please forgive my mistakes and probably I am not so smooth expressing myself.
I am living in the second biggest town, Tartu (100 000 inhabitants). In Estonia, we have only 1,3 million people and a lot of free nature. I live in town, but I am a forest person. All my free time, I will escape to the forest with my dogs and with my camera.
I am an orthodontist – working and teaching. I am an associate professor at Tartu University, doing teaching, research, and leading some EU projects.

Since childhood, I have had a very good relationship with all kind of animals. As a city girl, I did not have so many opportunities. I had cats, dogs, rats, rabbit, scorpion etc. around me when I was at school age. 
As my university time started during Soviet time (Estonia was occupied 1944-1991), I did not find any pathway leading to human-animal interactions. My first choice was veterinary, but my family somehow directed me into dentistry (they were afraid those soviet time big collective farms). So I ended up being a dentist.

I have had pets around me all my independent life, and my three sons have grown up together with them, learning empathy and caring.

Right now, I have two huskies Zaffi and Alfi; a horse called Winsor and two cats. Alfi is a certified therapy dog, and we do a lot of voluntary work (as much I can find the free time). Our primary focus is children with dental fear, and we work in a big and modern dental clinic. Our job is totally on voluntary base without any salary from my free time. We sometimes work together with speech and language therapist with children who have speaking difficulties, and I like to work with children with autism spectrum disorders.

In the field of AAI I am a self-learner. I am a member of the Estonian Association of Assistance and Therapy Dogs. I have been taking part from past 2 IAHAIO conferences in Paris and Green Chimneys. I have attended all the courses in Estonia; we have had. I want to incorporate AAI course into Tartu University program. I want to learn more. I am keen on research, and as a doctor, I follow evidence-based medicine. So evidence-based AAI is essential for me, and this is a reason I am in that course.

During my free time I do cross-country skiing, orienteering and our family is involved in gliding.

Photo by  Marit Sukk